Road to Sochi : Pre-Olympics World Championships.

I have decided to add a new thread for all the winter sports world championships that are going to be held over the next few weeks. Especially since IOC has granted entry to quite a few new events to the Olympics. Some of teh new events are in Snowboarding and the FIS Snowboarding world championships are being held in Stoneham (CAN) for last one week. The results from the events so far:

Great thread, but can I ask for one minor change? Could we also put in the Paralympic World Championships results? They're also in a Pre Paralympic year and qualifying will happening for them too the next couple of months.

I'm guessing the answer will be "Yes!!", but I also like to ask first too.

Great thread, but can I ask for one minor change? Could we also put in the Paralympic World Championships results? They're also in a Pre Paralympic year and qualifying will happening for them too the next couple of months.

I'm guessing the answer will be "Yes!!", but I also like to ask first too.

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Yes, Paralympic too... please feel to contribute... and don't be put off by the sentence "I have decided to". English is not my first language and sometimes make unintentional comments. It is only later when I re-read my post I feel it did not come out the way I intended the comment.

Oh, I wasn't put off by that. It's just that Paralympic Sport doesn't really get the due it deserves and w/the awesome amount of coverage of London's Summer Paralympics last year, it would be a shame to see that momentum die again going into Sochi.

The IPC was promoting on Twitter the Nordic and Biathlon World Championships for Paralympic participants are coming up in a couple of weeks and the Sledge Hockey Worlds are coming up fast too.

My Goodness that girl's having one heck of a World Cup Season this year and this is the cherry on top of it all.

"I'm ecstatic," Humphries said in a release. "Our goal all year was to win world championships and we did it. This is the perfect end to a great season and to do it in St. Moritz is the ultimate for any bobsledder.

"People don&#8217;t understand what this place means to us athletes. It is the birthplace of our sport and the longest track in the world that demands experience and skill so it means the world to me to win the world championships here."

Americans Elana Meyers and Katie Eberling claimed silver with a time of 4:30.99, while Germany's Sandra Kiriasis and Franziska Bertels earned bronze at 4:31.01.

Guay finished the downhill 0.13 seconds back of Domink Paris, who became just the second Italian skier to win the classic men's World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel, following in the footsteps of Kristian Ghedina's victory in 1998.

I love watching the Paralllel events. They look like they're a blast and a half to do.

Also...The World Winter Special Olympics open tonight in South Korea. Their Pledge is one I think all Athletes should say regardless of the Event.

Let me win, but if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt

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We have three athletes and one coach from our local Special Olympics Speed Skating program on the team that's over in South Korea. So we'll be paying attention to these Games a tad closer than we normally would.

Just wanted to mention they were starting in South Korea and thought this might be the best place.

ETA ~ My manners...Thanks for posting all of those results DomShabfan!!

Very interesting in the world cup short track speed skating this weekend - test event in Sochi for the Olympics.. Russia won the men's relay.. which is quite an upset.. they have actually been getting much better in short track - perfect timing for next year in Sochi.. A great showing by the Brits as well.. they will likely get their first winter Olympic medal in a long time with Elise Christie in the Short track - she won the overall world cup in the 1000 metres today splitting up the Koreans.. Canadians did well as usual.. good test event from the athletes who were pleased with the facility

Running that super G race today was a really bad call. Between the fog and the late hour, the visibility was just too poor. I only hope this hasn't cost Lindsay more than this already unfortunate season.

Running that super G race today was a really bad call. Between the fog and the late hour, the visibility was just too poor. I only hope this hasn't cost Lindsay more than this already unfortunate season.

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Eurosport France journalist tweeted that Lindsey Vonn's season is over. Waiting for more confirmation

That´s her path before a major competition, Worlds or Olympics, she always struggels with health-injuries, but to have this horrible crash IN the actual competition. Don´t know how much the postponement and late start affected visibility and conditions and took part on Lindeys´s accident, but it wasn´t fair for many racers. The low ranked skiers were not allowed to race in fact.

The gold was for Tina Maze who is just unstopable and I think she can win a medal in every event. Silver for Lara Gut (SUI) and bronze for Julia Mancuso who had a very gutsy run given the conditions and she almost stradled a gate and almost fall, but she stayed on course and it was good enough for her 5th world championship medal. Mancuso always deliver at major competitions, they suit her.

That´s her path before a major competition, Worlds or Olympics, she always struggels with health-injuries, but to have this horrible crash IN the actual competition. Don´t know how much the postponement and late start affected visibility and conditions and took part on Lindeys´s accident, but it wasn´t fair for many racers. The low ranked skiers were not allowed to race in fact.

The gold was for Tina Maze who is just unstopable and I think she can win a medal in every event. Silver for Lara Gut (SUI) and bronze for Julia Mancuso who had a very gutsy run given the conditions and she almost stradled a gate and almost fall, but she stayed on course and it was good enough for her 5th world championship medal. Mancuso always deliver at major competitions, they suit her.

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Tina Maze actually started her run 1m and 15 seconds before Lindsay Vonn, and the conditions at that time was the best during the entire competition (both for Lindsay and Tina). In fact, Tina hadn't finished her run when Lindsay started (this is how they do in World cups as well, so nothing scandalous there). These athletes do races at much worse conditions than the race took place. As for Mancuso almost missing the gate, many athletes ahead of her did miss that gate as well, all the athletes where coming into the gate with much higher speed and by passing the gate (i think that was a new world championship additional if I remember from what I read). I think now media is just trying to making it sound much harder than it actually was. It is more than likely Lindsay made a mistake and fell.

ACL and MCL tear does not sound promising at all, along with a broken bone. If anyone can make a successful recovery it would be Lindsay Vonn. I wish her best of luck in this very difficult recovery.

As for Mancuso almost missing the gate, many athletes ahead of her did miss that gate as well, all the athletes where coming into the gate with much higher speed and by passing the gate (i think that was a new world championship additional if I remember from what I read). I think now media is just trying to making it sound much harder than it actually was. It is more than likely Lindsay made a mistake and fell.

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If you look at the videos on the internet, then it's obvious that it wasn't about the conditions. So yes, technically, the fault lies with Vonn even though I'm not quite willing to say she made a mistake. It looks like she landed too much on the inside edge of her right ski after a jump, and at that speed the tiniest bit of off-balance could have caused that. It's just one of those things that, unfortunately, happens.
But blaming the conditions and/or the course is definitely ridiculous. Each of the ladies skied the course and it's not like Vonn is new to racing.

I wish her a speedy recovery; she's one hell of a skier and I'd hate if that was the end for her. I hope she can come back to skiing in top form!

Picabo Street suffered a similar injury as Vonn one year before the 1998 Nagano Olympics, she was able to recover and took the gold medal in the Super G by the narrowest of margin, definitively a very well pay off

They have said that it is expected that Lindsey will recover, she is just tough as nails, and could be racing again in the next season world cup, though I think she will take it very slowly and put all her effort towards the Sochi Olympics, almost one year away I think there is plenty of time to get well.

Today results saw Ted Ligety (USA) won the gold in the Super G (his first victory ever on a speed event), France got silver and Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) took the bronze. Austria zero medals after two events.

Svindal almost had that Super G and made a mistake two gates from home, doh. The French guy was actually a substitute for the team due to injury. Unexpected results!

This Swiss men have been poor without Couche and Feuz, but if Austria gets no downhill medal either they will not be happy (Italy seems to have had the most success after Svindal this season though). Of course Hirscher will be a major favorite for the technical events - I really hope his rivalry with Ted Ligety in the giant slalom continues through Sochi.

In other winter sports - biathlon world champs start today with the mixed relay!

On the note of special olympics. I taught a special needs skater for the last two - three years and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. She is in her 40's and has been working on the Glide Waltz (first dance on roller) for all that time. It is such a joy to see her achieve something it warms my heart. Sadly when she does something wrong she covers her head, as her mother used to beat her when she did something wrong as a child. She is now married and I have met her family and they are so very supportive of her skating. My life has been enriched for being given the opportunity to teach this beautiful soul.

Russia finished 6th and was in the medal hunt until a disastrous shoot by Malyshko. Germany had a total disaster finishing 13th with poor performance by Myriam Gussner, one of the women's favorites. Norway overall looks great including Tora Berger and Svensen, not bad from Martin Fourcade of France but he had too much to catch up by his leg.

Svendsen won the sprint biathlon over Martin Fourcade (FRA) and jacko Fak (SLO) bronze medal. In the women's race Ukraine won 1-3 in the sprints, with Olga Pidhrushina and Vita Semerenko wining gold and bronze respectively, Tora Berger (NOR) won the silver. Interestingly two huge market for biathlon Germany and Russia are yet to win any medals .

On a side note, the president of Russian Biathlon Federation (and multi billionaire ), Mikhail Prokhorov has vowed to resign his post unless russia win 2 gold medal at the Olympics. no pressure on the coaches at this world championships what so ever.